It's good news for Jayla

1-year-old's donated thymus tissue appears to be functioning properly

DURHAM -- Zelene Turner's goals for her daughter were modest. She wanted her to be able to touch people and things, open Christmas presents in the company of extended family, maybe even go to preschool.

On Friday, Turner came one step closer to seeing those goals realized.

A biopsy of the donated thymus tissue implanted into 1-year-old Jayla's thigh more than two months ago showed that the implant seemed to be working.

When Dr. Louise Markert, a Duke immunologist, gave the news Friday afternoon, Turner collapsed into a nearby chair and cried tears of joy.

"That's great, that's great," she said wiping her eyes.

Jayla, who was born without a thymus, was featured in a three-part News & Observer series in April. Last month, Markert cut into Jayla's thigh to remove a small piece of tissue so she could examine it under the microscope. On Friday, she liked what she saw.

The thymus, a gland that plays an essential role in building the immune system, seemed be to functioning -- converting immature white blood cells into T-cells, which then go on to help the body fight infection.

Although Markert said a follow-up test in two or three months is still needed to determine whether the T-cells had made their way into the bloodstream, the biopsy results are the first clear sign the transplant is working.

"She's going to go to kindergarten," pronounced Markert, who has performed 52 such thymus transplants and is world renowned for developing the treatment. "She's going to do great."

It has been a long and frustrating year for Zelene and her husband, James, who live in Hertford, 18 miles southwest of Elizabeth City. Since the birth of their third daughter, Jayla, they've been in and out of hospitals trying to stabilize her cascading series of symptoms.

At three months, doctors determined that she was born without a thymus and would most certainly die, probably by age 2, since her body had no way to fight infection.

Fortunate referral

Fortunately, the couple were referred to Markert, who performed the transplant with donated thymus tissue in March. Ever since, Jayla and Zelene have been living in a germ-free room at the Ronald McDonald House in Durham, cut off from family and friends.

It was hard to tell who was more emotional Friday -- Turner or Markert.

Though Jayla will continue to live in relative isolation -- to keep her from catching a virus -- the biopsy results signaled that the family's life could soon return to normal. In a few months, doctors will wean Jayla off immunosuppressant drugs. Then they'll give her a tetanus shot to see whether her body can fight off the vaccine's toxin.

To Turner, that means Jayla may soon be able to be to touch people and things, open Christmas presents in the company of family and friends, and, if all goes well, go to preschool in two years.